Does exercise improve semen quality and male fertility?
Physical activity is one of the lifestyle habits increasingly recommended by doctors. The reason is the significant benefits that exercise provides, for example, reducing the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular problems.
However, although it may seem less obvious, physical activity also affects male reproductive potential. These effects vary depending on the intensity of exercise, so it is important to learn more about this topic and follow professional guidance. This way, men can benefit from the advantages that sports can have on their fertility.
In the following video, embryologist Silvia Azaña explains how exercise can improve semen quality and male fertility. However, you can then explore the topic in greater detail by reading the article.
The different sections of this article have been assembled into the following table of contents.
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Importance of sports for male fertility
Physical activity has multiple well-known benefits for certain diseases. However, exercise performed moderately for about 30 minutes a day is also beneficial for semen quality.
Practicing moderate exercise (especially aerobic exercise) has been associated with an improvement in sperm count and concentration, as well as parameters such as motility and morphology of sperm. Therefore, sports can improve semen analysis results, one of the fundamental tests in male fertility studies.
In fact, this beneficial effect of exercise has also been observed in sedentary patients with fertility problems and in patients with obesity.
Moderate exercise increases testosterone levels and, therefore, promotes an appropriate hormonal environment for spermatogenesis (the process of sperm production). This has been proposed as one of the mechanisms by which semen quality could improve with exercise.
Moreover, moderate exercise also favors oxidative balance in semen. This helps prevent oxidative stress, which has harmful effects on semen quality and has been linked to increased sperm DNA fragmentation.
Intense exercise and male fertility
Moderate exercise is healthy and improves semen parameters compared to men who do not include exercise in their daily activities.
However, too much physical activity, typical of professional competitive athletes, marathon runners, triathletes, etc., seems to reduce semen quality.
This effect may be related to decreased testosterone levels and increased oxidative stress. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) increase too much with intense exercise, exceeding the body's antioxidant capacity to neutralize them. This imbalance causes oxidative stress and may lead to lower semen quality and higher sperm DNA fragmentation.
Prolonged, very intense, or overly frequent exercise could affect male semen quality.
Does cycling affect male fertility?
There are often questions about whether cycling can affect male semen quality due to the specific characteristics of this sport.
For proper spermatogenesis to occur, the testicles must be around 2 oC below body temperature.
However, sports such as cycling or horseback riding could increase scrotal temperature, which may impair spermatogenesis. Additionally, these sports are often practiced with very tight clothing, which promotes overheating.
Furthermore, impact with the saddle could contribute to lower semen quality in cyclists, especially regarding sperm morphology and motility. Additionally, the pressure exerted by the saddle on nerves and blood vessels in the testicular area could lead to erectile dysfunction.
To prevent semen quality from being affected, it is usually advisable not to cycle more than 5 hours per week.
FAQs from users
What are the advantages and disadvantages of exercise for male fertility?
The main advantages of sport in relation to male fertility are found mainly when it is practiced in a moderate way. In this way, sport can lead to an increase in testosterone, a better oxidative balance in the semen, which would reduce oxidative stress, and an improvement in seminal parameters.
On the other hand, sport presents disadvantages for male fertility when it is practiced very intensely, as is the case with elite athletes or competitive athletes. In this case, a decrease in testosterone levels and an increase in oxidative stress could occur, which could cause damage to the genetic material of the sperm and has been linked to poorer sperm quality and an increase in DNA fragmentation.
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Does intense gym exercise affect male fertility?
Practicing sport in the gym could affect male fertility if it is done very intensely for a very long time or very frequently, leading to overtraining in the same way that would happen with triathletes or competitive athletes.
The recommendation is to perform moderate exercise for about 30 minutes daily. Take care of other habits, such as eating a healthy diet, and avoid alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.
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Does intense exercise also affect female fertility?
Yes. Sport practiced very intensely can even lead to a woman stopping having menstrual cycles. That is, to a situation of amenorrhea. In this case, if ovulation doesn't occur, the woman won't be able to get pregnant.
Additionally, there are other factors associated with intense sports that can also lead to an impact on female fertility, such as having a low body weight and the stress that comes with competition.
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Recommended readings
If you are interested in learning whether it is possible to improve semen quality, you can read this article: What recommendations should be followed to improve sperm quality?
Additionally, if you want to learn more about the semen parameters mentioned throughout the article, we recommend visiting this link: Semen Quality: What Is Measured And What Can Be Done To Improve It?
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References
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Hajizadeh Maleki B, Tartibian B, Chehrazi M. Effects of Aerobic, Resistance, and Combined Exercise on Markers of Male Reproduction in Healthy Human Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Strength Cond Res. 2019 Apr;33(4):1130-1145. (View)
Hajizadeh Maleki B, Tartibian B. Moderate aerobic exercise training for improving reproductive function in infertile patients: A randomized controlled trial. Cytokine. 2017 Apr;92:55-67. (View)
Lunetti P, Capobianco L, Zara V, Ferramosca A. Physical Activity and Male Reproductive Function: A New Role for Gamete Mitochondria. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2021 Apr 1;49(2):99-106. (View)
Rosety MÁ, Díaz AJ, Rosety JM, Pery MT, Brenes-Martín F, Bernardi M, García N, Rosety-Rodríguez M, Ordoñez FJ, Rosety I. Exercise improved semen quality and reproductive hormone levels in sedentary obese adults. Nutr Hosp. 2017 Jun 5;34(3):603-607. (View)
Vaamonde D, Algar-Santacruz C, Abbasi A, García-Manso JM. Sperm DNA fragmentation as a result of ultra-endurance exercise training in male athletes. Andrologia. 2018 Feb;50(1). (View)